Public Relations Crisis Communication Plan
Public Relations Crisis Communication PlanI. PurposeA crisis communication plan provides policies and procedures for the coordination of communicationwithin the College, the media, and the public in the event of an emergency or controversial issue.Emergencies may include fires, bomb threats, natural disasters, or major crimes. Controversial issuesmay include police investigations, protests, or other situations that demand a public response. The planis not intended to change the way emergencies are initially reported. All emergencies on campusshould be reported immediately to 911.This plan not only addresses media relations and communication issues, but also includes procedures forthe rapid identification of potentially harmful situations and the methods for responding to thesesituations quickly and effectively.It is the goal of this crisis communication plan to establish guidelines for dealing with a variety ofsituations, and to ensure that campus officials and communicators are familiar with those procedures,and their roles in the event of a crisis. The plan is designed to be used in conjunction with the normaldecision-making hierarchy of the College and does not supplant that decision-making process.II. Objectives of the Plan1. To be able to factually assess situations and determine whether communications responses arewarranted.2. To assemble a Crisis Communication Team that will make recommendations on appropriateresponses.3. To implement immediate actions to: Identify constituencies that should be informed about the situation Communicate facts about the crisis Minimize rumors Restore order and/or confidenceIII. Procedures Assessment — the individual who encounters the potential crisis should gather accurateinformation from the appropriate sources. A potential crisis is defined as an event or situation that couldaffect or has affected the health, safety, or welfare of students, faculty, staff, or campus visitors. Afterfact gathering, the appropriate individual should determine whether an immediate response isnecessary, and if so, should consult: Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Marketing, and PublicRelations. (Backup: President) The Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Marketing, and PublicRelations will determine whether or not to convene a Crisis Communication Team and will immediatelyinform the President.1
Assembling Core Crisis Team — Composition of the crisis team will include at minimum (President’sLeadership Cabinet):Presidents Leadership CabinetProgram Director or Supervisor of area affected*Other personnel will be added to this President’s Leadership Cabinet to form the larger CrisisCommunication Team, which will then formulate a response based on the nature of the crisis.The Core Crisis Team, after assessing the nature and scope of the situation, should call together allmembers of the Crisis Communication Team to develop a plan of action including some, or all, of thefollowing:1. Designate a spokesperson. In most cases, the spokesperson should be the Vice President forInstitutional Advancement, Marketing, and Public Relations. The person possessing the directknowledge of the crisis (for example: the Campus Safety and Security Officer in the event of a campuscrime) can be designated as spokesperson by the Vice President for Institutional Advancement,Marketing, and Public Relations. Additional back-up spokespersons include: VP of Student Services andVP for Academic Affairs.In cases of a significant crisis, the president or the highest ranking College administrator must take thelead in conveying the administration’s response to the crisis, showing that the College has control of thesituation, calming public concern, and setting an example for the entire campus.2. Draft a fact sheet. The fact sheet should contain a summary statement of the situation including allknown details to be released to the media. This information should be made available to (and approvedby) the President, and appropriate Dean or Vice President. This fact sheet should be analyzed withrespect to the public’s right to know.3. Notify key constituencies. Determine key constituencies that should be informed of the crisis. It isimportant to keep administration, faculty, staff and students informed of appropriate details and actionstaken by the College during an emergency. Effective communications will help control rumors, maintainmorale, and ensure continued orderly operations of the College. Among the groups that should beconsidered for communication in a crisis situation are:CommissionerTCSGLaw enforcement agenciesAdministration, faculty, and staffStudentsGeneral publicMass mediaBoard of DirectorsFoundation Board of Directors4. Assign member of the Crisis Team to communicate the facts of the situation (contained in the factsheet) and the College’s intended response. Among those that may be notified, depending on thesituation, are:2
Law enforcement agencies — should be notified by Safety and Security OfficerFaculty and Staff — Information to faculty and staff other than those selected to serve on the CrisisTeam should be provided via email. This should be handled by the office of public relations.Students — all student email, Alert Now messages, and through faculty.Local community and General Public — Place alert in red bold type on the home page of the websitethat will link visitors to more information (provided from the fact sheet) about the crisis. If the situationhas an impact on local residents, use mass media. If appropriate, meetings can be arranged with leadersof the community.Mass media —Public Relations may prepare news releases for distribution. All media inquiries should bedirected to the marketing and public relations office.5. Alert the media. Determine whether a news conference and or news release is an appropriate meansof conveying information to faculty, staff, students, the news media, and the public. The Vice Presidentof Institutional Advancement, Marketing, and Public Relations will determine logistics of the newsconference including when, where and how the media will be contacted, which media will be contacted,who will supervise the news conference, who will appear, etc.6. Establish Crisis Command Center. Determine whether the magnitude of the crisis merits establishinga Crisis Command Center (for police and College officials) and/or a media briefing center (for largergatherings of the media for briefings or press conferences). Location should be determined dependingon the incident and in conjunction with the police department.7. Photography. Decide the need to assign videographers and photographers to take pictures of thescene. This may prove helpful in responding to media inquiries, to possible later litigation, as well asdocumenting events. Determine need to supply video footage and photographs from files. Decidewhether to provide TV footage for immediate distribution. Determine whether it is appropriate to allowlocation shooting by TV and newspaper photographers. Determine when, where, and who willaccompany the media.8. Radio Responses. Discuss need to produce a script for a PSA on local radio stations, or who to makeavailable for radio sound bites.9. Internal communications. Determine strategy of internal communications to be used if the crisisaffects College students and employees, working closely with the Human Resources Coordinator,campus news, mass emailing, and the web site. For off-campus only, the Dean for that site will handlecommunications.10. Alternative communications. Discuss alternative or additional means of conveying informationincluding letters to students or selected constituencies of the College, letters to newspaper editors, andmass media. Where appropriate, the Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Marketing, andPublic Relations will work with local news media, asking them to offer a “hot link” on their web sites toSRTC ’s web site for viewers wanting more information regarding a crisis.3
11. Switchboard- The following locations, which receive high volumes of incoming telephone calls to theCollege, should be notified regarding the key facts of the crisis (fact sheet) and where to refer callspertaining to the crisis: Location/ Contact Person PhoneMoultrie – 229-891-7000Tifton – 229-391-2600Thomasville – 229-225-409612. Rumor control. Consider establishing a rumor-control hotline and/or a dedicated call-in line formedia use. A web page with a hot link from the College home page can also be used posting up-to-dateinformation and FAQ.13. Loss of telephone service. Cellular phones should be used in the event that land-lines are down. ThePresident’s office will maintain a list of cellular phone numbers for key College officials.Aftermath ComponentFollowing any crisis, appropriate action must take place to ensure that members of the Collegecommunity, and others as necessary, receive needed information and assistance to help bring closure tothe crisis as well as relief from the effects of the event. Attention also should be placed on identifyingand implementing measures to improve the action plan used during the crisis.Communications1. Whenever possible, a public forum should be scheduled and coordinated by the Vice President forInstitutional Advancement, Marketing, and Public to communicate details of the incident and events toall interested members of the College. The timeliness of this meeting is critical and every effort shouldbe made to see that it occurs within three work days from the close of the crisis. Representatives fromHuman Resources, as well as the College Counselor should attend and be prepared to answer questionsand share pertinent information. Specific departments and/or individuals also may be requested toattend and participate depending upon the nature of the crisis.2. Immediately following a crisis, it is imperative that the College be sensitive to the needs of faculty,staff, and students who may have been personally affected by the disaster. There may be a need toassist a victim or victims by obtaining information and/or a referral to available resources. ThePresident’s Leadership Cabinet will be responsible for notifying appropriate employees and StudentAffairs for students. Also, representatives from the President’s Leadership Cabinet and Student Affairsshould follow up with their respective constituents to ensure their needs are being addressed and offerfurther assistance.3. It is not unreasonable to expect that rumors would follow a crisis, further creating an atmosphere ofanxiety. One means of combating rumors would be to take full advantage of electronic mail, rumorcontrol hotlines, etc. and report facts as appropriate.4. Depending upon the nature of the crisis, services and assistance may have been rendered byagencies, companies and/or individuals from outside the College. The Vice President for InstitutionalAdvancement, Marketing, and Public Relations should ensure that applicable follow-up information andthank-you letters are forwarded to appropriate persons.4
5. The President’s Leadership Cabinet shall meet within 10 days following a crisis and review all actionstaken as a result of the crisis to determine effectiveness and efficiency of operations and make anyneeded changes to the Crisis Management Plan.Clean UpThe Vice President for Operations is responsible for overseeing and implementing services necessary toclean and repair areas and facilities damaged as a result of a crisis. The Vice President for InstitutionalAdvancement, Marketing, and Public Relations will support this effort by working with the VicePresident for Operations and the Facilities Director(s) to communicate necessary clean-up informationto the community.Facility Evacuation/Operational ShutdownsIt may become necessary to evacuate buildings and/or areas surrounding facilities to protect and ensurethe safety of people. If such a situation occurs, decisions regarding work space accommodations and/orleave requirements for faculty and staff as well as class schedules and other accommodations thatwould need to be addressed.Student questions should be directed to the Vice President for Student Affairs, and the faculty shouldaddress any concerns with their respective Dean.Southern Regional Technical College Evening AdministratorsMoultrie Veterans Pkwy/Industrial DriveLisa Griffin Mon.-Wed., 5:30 – 9:30 pm (229) 454-6850Steve Fletcher Thurs., 5:30 – 9:30 pm (229) 821-0288Tifton CampusSedric Carithers Mon.-Thurs., Security Guard, 4:00-9:30 pm (229) 850-0850Steve Peacock Mon.-Thurs., 6:00 – 9:30 pm (229) 821-0297David Evans (back up) (229) 821-6090Susan Davis (back up) (229) 347-7119Thomasville CampusDale Aldridge Mon.-Thurs., 6:30 – 10:00 pm (229) 672-0160Cairo CampusCharlie McBee Mon.-Thurs, 4:00 -9:00 pm (229) 378-29015
Mass media —Public Relations may prepare news releases for distribution. All media inquiries should be directed to the marketing and public relations office. 5. Alert the media. Determine whether a news conference and or news release is an appropriate means of conveying information to faculty, staff, s
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